Dear Friend...today was my last day

with the company.

Dec 20 was our Christmas party and I had the pleasure of providing a 3-week notice with only having to serve 8 days of it.  The new post company actually told me how to do this and have it actually work out. I spoke with 53-E this day and let him know I was leaving.  TMIII-CC had to call TT admin into his office to set my resignation in motion.  I figured she would tell everyone because she has previously violated my employment privacy, and if not her then DDBB because he really has a big mouth and neither one seem to know (care) about employee privacy.

I have been wondering if I should say anything to TwoNewbie but the way he has treated me he really didn't deserve or earn my respect.  He talks nonsense about everyone ALL the time and I did not want to be fodder although I suspected that he and L2 already knew.  They acted surprised - but not much.  I did get to quietly say goodbye to 37-1O, shake his hand and he said to call him on occasion.

L2 was funny about the whole thing when he saw that I was turning in my phone, keys and id to CC. and that it was my last day.  He said,"no, no. I wasn't that mean yesterday!!"  It was funny and we all laughed. L2 asked me where I was going and I said on a new and terrifying adventure.  I shook his hand and said goodbye.  He told me to keep in touch and I said ok.  I asked CC what coats he needed and he said none.

As I walked out of the office to throw things out of my locker away, 69-A came into the office wondering what all the sad looks were about.  I walked out and into my P58 bay where our lockers are.  I had previously and casually unlocked my lockers and placed the locks in my lunch bag.  TwoNewbie saw me do this so I figured he suspected but I did it so casually I don't think he realized.  I then walked to my locker and threw my hard hat out and my old boots I use for crack sealing out and my old gloves out.  I had asked CC in the office if he wanted my coats and such and he said no so I put those in my bag.  TwoNewbie said why are your throwing your hard-hat out? You're gonna need it. I said it's my last day today.  He said what you're kidding.

No. not kidding.  TwoNewbie then asked why and I informed him that I have been treated very badly here.  I shook his hand and said goodbye.

37-RL was standing by him and said what?  I said again that today was my last day. TwoNewbie did seem surprised. I then thanked RL for all the help he gave me when SA retired (who by the way passed on Christmas Day this year. Geez, two years retired and already gone seems such little time for him.). RL said no problem.  Yeah, don't be fooled by him either he's really mean too but he did help me a lot.  He sabatoged my truck and hid the keys to his one-ton so I couldn't use it when my one-ton was broke.

I walked out and left.  For the past four weeks I have had little thoughts of this is the last time I will do this action.   Like: I will never plow snow again, which makes me sad as I was really really good at it.  I was good as a tandem asphalt driver too.  Last time for a blade change, thank God!! as TwoNewbie and L2 go through the blades like water and they are heavy, awkward and dangerous to change.  And 5 each that's a lot!! 4 too many.

We were supposed to leave early today at 16:00 but the only one leaving was me at 16:15.  So long you meanies.  I made sure they could all hear my car leave.  It was fun.

Cheers and send me all the news,

L

Dear Friend...TwoNewbie Flash Froze my road...

....and is very proud of himself.

I have never been treated with such hate from the traveling public as I have these past 3 long, long long years that TwoNewbie is in charge.

I get flipped off and cussed out all the time.

This never happened before TwoNewbie.  He is so proud of flash freezing Hwy 115 on the last snow storm, Dec 9, 2024.  We had 9 crashes on our road because he shot it and shot it and shot it and kept scraping off my sand and flash froze it - 3 crashes maybe but not not 9.  He is so lousy at plowing snow it's laughable only I'm not laughing because it's actually a safety hazard.  It just makes me think, GRRRRR how I hate the cronyism that goes on here at the company and HR is part of allowing the cronyism.

4 of the wrecks was going northbound up Sullivan Hill.  I have NEVER seen crashes in that area before.  TwoNewbie did a great job!

TwoNewbie was so proud of himself and what HE did to our road.  Ugh, it makes me sick to my stomache to think about it.

The road was frozen clear to Penrose because the Penrose guys didn't do any better. They had a jackknifed semi-tractor trailer on their road. They sprayed a bunch of liquid too.

I will state, management has a lot to do with it and their encouragement to spray liquid when it shouldn't as a frozen road is all you are going to get.  I felt sorry for our night guy, but he surprisingly did a great job.  I put out 54 tons of sand and still couldn't stop the train wreck of TwoNewbie.

Our road is still condensating from all the liquid.  I came down 24 Ute Pass as they sprayed too much up there too. I almost slid off the road today up there because of it.

Dear Friend... dereliction of duty

The Company is so cruel and lazy that it can't even check on a coworker to make certain he is ok.  I said hey, before you write him up for Dereliction of Duty someone needs to go check on him and make certain he is ok.  Perhaps he is unable to contact us.  This is not right.  My suggestions fell on deaf ears.

Turns out...here's the rest of some of the story...

Said worker did not fail to come in he was prevented from coming in and is missing...

Leave it to the company to want to write someone up for crap because the company is too lazy to figure it out and send someone to his home to find out if he is ok and treat people decently.

Dear Friend...TwoNewbie strikes again!

 On Monday, Dec 23, 2024, I am told by TwoNewbie to go out and pothole in a live lane of traffic in the middle of the day without an attenuator truck (safety vehicle); with no lane shut down and no traffic plan, which is against EVERY rule of the company.  In fact, he told me to do it South Bound on Hwy 115 at Lake Bridge and North bound at the same bridge.  FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

WHAT THE FUCKKKKK!!!!

It is so disgusting that this guy is a TMII in charge of my patrol.  He's going to get me killed, on purpose.  I just feel it in my bones.  What a JERK!!

The ltc ops should be happy, I did as I was told.  I won't be doing it again, EVER!!!

and I will be complaining to my TMIII every day that I can.

FUCK!!!

Send me all the news,

L

Dear Friend...I bet you're brilliant...

But only if you're a man. 

Well let's count down the male ego crap for this past week, I can't make this fodder up. I'm working nights, BTW.

1.  Tuesday night I'm driving the one-ton and someone (an insecure, hateful man) undid my passenger side windshield wiper because he's an ass.  I was driving in a rain storm and it flipped off.  The only way this happens is if someone purposely pulled it loose.  Also, they are hard to pull. In his mind the passenger side is not as dangerous if the wiper goes. In his mind what he did is OK to do. When in fact this is lousy reasoning.  I cannot believe the crap men pull because they are so INCREDIBLY insecure.

2. We changed blades on my truck and TwoNewbie was not happy about changing blades and said there were 3 maybe 3 1/2 fingers left.  My fingers are small and I was getting 2 fingers.  I left the call to L2 and he said to change them.  For me, they would last as I run a light plow.  For L2, no.  I've seen L2 run through half of blades in a night when they should last most of the season.

 Jeez-O-Peeze doesn't anybody know how to plow snow anymore?

Anyway the story goes like this.  We double blade a 12 foot plow.  Three 4 foot and two 6 foot.  The four foots are carbide and the 6 are steel. You keep carbide with carbide and steel with steel.  I suggested we put the 4's in back closest to the plow and the 6 in front to cover the seams of the 4s. TwoNewbie couldn't tell me fast enough how wrong and stupid I was.  So we did it his way.

Next day we are changing blades on TwoNewbie's truck, and Popeye is helping.  Popeye has the EXACT SAME IDEA that I had just that morning, and TwoNewbie couldn't fall all over Popeye fast enough and tell Popeye how very brilliant he was.  

SAY WHAT???? I had the EXACT same effing idea.  WTF!!  I said something and was told to, hush, by L2.  ugh

When it was my idea it was crap, now that it's some great idea from a man, IT'S BRILLIANT!!!

GRRR.

Send me all the news,

L

PS another patrol left their old blades laying around for others to trip and fall. Common sense and courtesy is to pick them up and put them in the metal recycle bin right away not days later. sigh

Dear Friend...do as you are told...

I got taken to task in January 2024 by the company for "not doing as I was told," and this lame'o excuse became the reason why the Ltc Ops would not back down even though I proved my point that I did not follow what I was told due to a safety issue and the HR said they would not do something if it was not safe but still let the Ops carry on.  I still remember the smug look on the Ops' face when he said I didn't do as I was told, as if it was my "fault" for being taken to task.  Very smug and ended with "your are to do as you are told."

I have since returned to work and recently we went to weed whip an off ramp.  It is the company's directive that signs are to be placed no ifs, ands or buts about it.  Its a "safety issue." and if we do not the we just cut our workers comp in half for not doing so.  

I was confused as we did not approach the work area in a safe manner and neglected to put out signs.  I was informed that we did NOT need them because we were not working near the road.  This in fact was false. We would be working right on the road and I again asked about the signs.  I was informed that we would not be putting them out.  YIKES.  ok I just got an image in my mind of a smug irritating look from the Ops 9 months previously for not doing as I was told even though it was a safety issue, and so I did as I was told.  The TWONEWBIE even shut off our lights to the truck. DOUBLE YIKES.  I was not happy but did as I was told.

I finished where I was working and felt very concerned working as we were for not setting up signs which is in direct conflict with Prime Directive 1501.1 and 1501.2.  UGH

After working awhile, I decided I was done due to the safety issue and feeling uncomfortable about it, and went back to the hot truck and turned it on and its lights on so at least traffic had some warning.  I then wondered where TWONEWBIE had disappeared.  None of my business.  To my absolute shock!!, I  later saw him on our main highway in the center medium weed whipping guardrail with absolutely NO SIGNS AND NO PROTECTIVE VEHICLE.  OMG, OMG OMG!!!!   I am sick to my stomache.

Later as we all meet up in the truck I stated my concerns about the no signs and him being on our main highway with no signs or protections, and TWONEWBIE states "I saw our signs they were right there. You saw them too didn't you? "  

I said no --- feeling quite sick about this additional situation.

P58-2M said that he saw them.  I was shocked and really felt quite unsafe with these men deliberately and blatantly lying like this.  It gave me the chills and creeps. 

58-2M then said how if anything really bad happened that his wife was taken care of.  I'm pretty certain any insurance has a clause in it that if you are found in any way responsible for your death they don't have to pay and I informed him of such and also that I would not be lying.

I suppose the whole thing is most shocking as TWONEWBIE personally knew the two men who were recently killed in another area.  I guess he blames the issue of putting out signs when it was the driver who hit them was on his cell phone.  Very sad, very tragic.  And the biggest reason why I do not answer my phone while driving although I have had TWONEWBIE  and the Ops both call me expecting me to answer as I drove.  Catch 22- damned if you do and really damned if you don't.

The Ops should be proud of me - I did as I was told...

Send me all the news,

L

PS I guess God watches out for fools and children

Raspberry Jam - no pectin

RASPBERRY JAM 

4 Cups Raspberries

4 Cups sugar (I used 2)

2 Tblsp lemon juice

1 Tblsp corn starch (can use tapioca starch) (Thank you Dolores for this information) This is a thickening agent.

1 tsp nutmeg (optional) (I did not use). (I did add it to the leftover and gives it a nice spicy nutty taste)

1 tsp vanilla (optional) (I did not use)

I bring it all to a boil and boil about 10 minutes.  Until raspberries break down and you can see it thicken.

other recipes bring raspberries to a boil and then add the rest of the ingredients and bring back to a roiling boil.

YIELDS: Three 8oz jars with a smidge left over.

I can't imagine using equal amounts of sugar to berry.  Using the two cups made the jam VERY sweet.  You probably would only taste sugar if you used the 4 cups, IMHO.  And I am tempted to lower this more since all I taste is sugar even with just two cups.

Sterilize your jars, lids and caps for 10 minutes.  I have both the jam going and the jars and lids going at the same time.  I also sterilize the jar lifter (best purchase ever!), tongs,  & canning funnel.  I use the tongs to grab the lid and cap from the boiling water.

Old method: fill sterilized jars with hot jam; twist lid and caps on jam jar and set aside for lid to "pop."

New method: fill sterilized jars, twist lid and caps on jam jar, set jars in water bath, jars covered by 1" of water for 15-20 minutes boil.

I was taught the old method from my mother-in-law and my lovely mentor, Dolores.  Both stated that the sugar in jams, jellies and butters are enough to kill any bacteria even if you lower the sugar.  Of Note: if you lower the sugar too much it supposedly won't kill the bacteria.  As with all canning, when you open the jar and it smells funny or is growing bacteria NEVER eat it.

Don't know why "they" (govt??) added the additional water bath for jams and jellies, shrug.